After three years of tinkering, upgrading, and occasionally breaking things, my home lab has become my favorite learning environment. This is the complete guide to how I run things — hardware, software, network topology, and lessons learned the hard way.
The Hardware
You don't need enterprise gear to run a solid home lab. Here's what I'm currently running:
| Component | Spec | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Main Server | Intel NUC i7, 64GB RAM | Proxmox host |
| NAS | Custom build, 8x8TB drives | TrueNAS Scale |
| Network | Ubiquiti Dream Machine | VLANs for isolation |
| Backup | Synology DS220+ | 3-2-1 backup target |
| UPS | APC 1500VA | Graceful shutdowns |
💡 Pro Tip
Start small. I began with a single Raspberry Pi and a dream. Don't overspend before you know what you actually need.
The Hypervisor: Proxmox
I switched from ESXi to Proxmox three years ago and haven't looked back. It's open source, actively developed, and doesn't have Broadcom's licensing surprises hanging over it.
My Proxmox host runs about 15 VMs and containers:
- Home Assistant (critical for the smart home)
- Plex media server
- Pi-hole for network-wide ad blocking
- Grafana + Prometheus for monitoring
- Several dev/test Linux VMs
- A Windows VM for... uh... testing (wink)
Network Topology
VLANs are your friend. Here's my setup:
- VLAN 10 - Main devices (laptops, phones)
- VLAN 20 - IoT devices (smart home, cameras)
- VLAN 30 - Lab infrastructure (servers, NAS)
- VLAN 40 - Guest network
- VLAN 50 - DMZ (public-facing services)
The key rule: IoT devices can't initiate connections to your main network. If your smart lightbulb can reach your laptop, you're doing it wrong.
Services I Run
Self-Hosting
- Nextcloud - Google Drive replacement
- Immich - Google Photos alternative (amazing!)
- Vaultwarden - Self-hosted Bitwarden
- Bookstack - Documentation wiki
Media
- Plex - Movies, shows
- Jellyfin - Backup media server
- Ombi - Request system for family
Infrastructure
- Pi-hole - DNS sinkhole
- Unbound - Recursive DNS resolver
- Nginx Proxy Manager - Reverse proxy with Let's Encrypt
- Uptime Kuma - Monitoring and alerts
Backups: The 3-2-1 Rule
Three copies of your data. Two different media types. One offsite. I learned this the hard way when a RAID controller died and took two drives with it.
My current backup strategy:
- Primary data lives on the NAS (RAID 6)
- Nightly backups to the Synology
- Weekly encrypted backups to Backblaze B2
- Important configs in a Git repo
Monitoring & Alerts
Grafana dashboards are my screensaver. I have panels for:
- CPU/RAM/Disk usage across all hosts
- Network traffic by VLAN
- Plex streaming stats
- Power consumption (via smart plugs)
- Temperature sensors
Alerts go to a dedicated Discord channel. I know immediately when:
- A service goes down
- Disk usage exceeds 80%
- Backup jobs fail
- Someone requests media via Ombi
Lessons Learned
What I'd Do Differently
- Cable management matters. Label both ends. Your future self will thank you.
- Start with documentation. I spent months figuring out things I had already solved once.
- Power consumption adds up. My electric bill went up $40/month. Factor that in.
- Don't run public services without thinking. Rate limits, fail2ban, and proper firewall rules are mandatory.
What Was Worth It
- Learning Proxmox inside and out
- Setting up proper VLANs early
- Investing in a good UPS
- Automating backups before I needed them
Getting Started
If you're reading this and thinking "I want one," here's my advice:
- Grab any old PC or buy a used mini PC (~$150)
- Install Proxmox or Ubuntu Server
- Run Pi-hole and Home Assistant first
- Add services as you need them
- Document everything
- Join r/homelab and learn from others
Final Thoughts
My home lab is equal parts hobby, learning environment, and practical infrastructure. It's where I test updates before production, learn new technologies, and host services my family actually uses.
Is it overengineered? Absolutely. Do I regret any of it? Not a second.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go check why Grafana is alerting me about disk space...